Watchdog: Washington airport officials got freebies

Nov. 16, 2012
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by Bart Jansen, USA TODAY

by Bart Jansen, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON - Officials who oversee airports near the nation's capital received free Super Bowl tickets and golf trips from contractors while awarding $225 million in no-bid contracts, a federal watchdog told a House hearing Friday.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which governs Reagan National airport just across the Potomac River from the Capitol and nearby Dulles International, is supposed to have competitive bids for all contracts worth more than $200,000.

Calvin Scovel III, the Transportation Department's inspector general, found competition for only 68 out of 190 contracts from January 2009 to June 2011. The two-thirds of contracts without competition totaled $225 million, according to Scovel.

Authority employees received gifts from contractors, including two tickets to the 2009 Super Bowl in Tampa worth nearly $5,000, trips to golf tournaments including the U.S. Open, fishing trips, music concerts, and baseball, basketball and hockey games.

In one case that Scovel discovered, a former authority board member got an advisory position one day after leaving the board that paid $180,000 a year for unspecified duties. When the position was publicized and terminated, the former board member got a year's severance pay.

Scovel found that a board member recommended hiring his wife's law firm for $100,000. Another board member had two grandchildren working at the authority.

"It is a very sad chapter, particularly in our nation's capital," said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the transportation committee.

Reagan National is the airport most commonly used by many senators and congressmen weekly as they fly in and out when Congress is in session.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told lawmakers that the airport agency has terminated all contracts with former board members and employees, adopted post-employment restrictions and created ethics and travel policies.

Under a reorganization in October, the board expanded from 13 to 17 members, and many of them are new.

"There is a lot of fresh blood," LaHood said. "We have made progress, but we can always do better."